PITTSBURGH (Nov. 6) – The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) presented awards to 15 leaders and innovators in chemical engineering in a ceremony during its Annual Meeting here last week. This year was the first for the Industrial Progress Award, which recognizes the contributions of a young chemical engineering professional.

“The fundamental skills of chemical engineers are vital to driving innovative solutions to the world’s problems,” said David Rosenthal, AIChE President. “The achievements of the individuals and organizations recognized by these awards advance the chemical engineering field and give us hope that we can navigate through the obstacles that lie ahead.”

Narayan Ramesh, Associate R&D Director at The Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan, received the first Industrial Progress Award for his leadership role in bringing to market Dow’s POWERHOUSETM Solar Shingle — a new building-integrated roofing material that combines the performance and protection of a conventional asphalt roof with an integrated photovoltaic system that powers the home. The award recognizes significant contributions by an individual under the age of 40 who works in an industry served by chemical engineers.

AIChE’s Board of Directors presented the Institute’s Founders Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Chemical Engineering to George Stephanopoulos, the A.D. Little Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stephanopoulos’ research has helped to define the field of Process Systems Engineering, from large-scale manufacturing processes to nanoscale synthetic scales and molecular factories.

G. V. Rex Reklaitis, the Burton and Kathryn Gedge Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University, received the Board of Directors’ F. J. and Dorothy Van Antwerpen Award for Service to AIChE. The award is sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company.

In addition, AIChE also honored these 12 outstanding chemical engineers:

Donald R. Miller, Commercial Director, Early Inflammation Commercial Development in the Specialty Care Business Unit of Pfizer, received the Industrial Research and Development Award for outstanding achievement in the industrial practice of chemical engineering toward the successful development and commercialization of pharmaceutical and biomedical products. The award recognizes individuals or teams working in the industries served by chemical engineers, for innovation that has resulted in the successful commercial development of new products and/or new processes for making useful products. Miller’s innovative work has led to the creation of numerous disease-fighting therapies, including Mylotarg, a leukemia drug; Enebrel, for treating rheumatoid arthritis; Rapamune, which prevents organ rejection in kidney transplants, and Vyndaqul, which treats a rare neurodegenerative disease.

The Industry Leadership Award recognizes individuals or teams working in the industries served by chemical engineers, for leadership and accomplishment in activities including: management; sales and marketing; public, community, and industrial relations; commercial and business development, training, or public service. Joseph V. Porcelli, President and Principal at JVP International, Inc., received the award for his technical and commercial executive, managerial and hands-on leadership in the development, implementation and maintenance of a wide variety of new chemical processes.

The Engineering and Construction Award recognizes individuals or teams for achievement in the design and/or construction of process plants or process plant revamps. Troy J. Campione, an independent consultant and recently Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Joule Unlimited, Inc., received the award for his leadership role in translating science into the technologies of the future by creating new business opportunities for platform technologies.

Kevin D. Dorfman, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota, received the Allan P. Colburn Award for Excellence in Publications by a Young Member of the Institute. The award is sponsored by E.I du Pont de Nemours & Company.

Brian A. Korgel¸ the Cockrell School of Engineering Temple Professor #1 and Matthew Van Winkle Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, was presented the Professional Progress Award for Outstanding Progress in Chemical Engineering. The award is sponsored by Air Products.

Nicholas L. Abbott, the John T. and Magdalen L. Sobota Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received the Alpha Chi Sigma Award for Chemical Engineering Research. The award is sponsored by the Alpha Chi Sigma Educational Foundation.

Gary T. Rochelle, the Carol and Henry Groppe Professor of Chemical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, received the Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology. The award is sponsored by Praxair, Inc.

W. S. Winston Ho, the University Scholar Chair Professor in the William G. Lowry Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Ohio State University, was presented with the Lawrence B. Evans Award in Chemical Engineering Practice. The award is sponsored by the CACHE Corporation.

Channing R. Robertson, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, was presented with the Award for Service to Society. The award is sponsored by Fluor Foundation.

William M. Deen, the Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was presented with the Warren K. Lewis Award for Contributions to Chemical Engineering Education. The award is sponsored by ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company.

Jacob Israelachvili, Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, received the William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature. The award is sponsored by John Wiley & Sons.

About AIChE: AIChE is a professional society of more than 40,000 chemical engineers in 92 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.

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